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Mind Over Matter

The phrase "mind over matter" originated in the 1860s referring to the evolutionary growth of animal and human minds throughout history. It suggests the increasing dominance of the mind over the physical world. In the 1960s-70s, the phrase was popularized in relation to paranormal phenomena like psychokinesis. It is also used in reference to philosophies emphasizing personal responsibility and control over pain or physical challenges through mental focus alone. While some claim to be able to influence physical phenomena solely through mind power, scientific explanations for such effects are still being studied.

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576 views3 pages

Mind Over Matter

The phrase "mind over matter" originated in the 1860s referring to the evolutionary growth of animal and human minds throughout history. It suggests the increasing dominance of the mind over the physical world. In the 1960s-70s, the phrase was popularized in relation to paranormal phenomena like psychokinesis. It is also used in reference to philosophies emphasizing personal responsibility and control over pain or physical challenges through mental focus alone. While some claim to be able to influence physical phenomena solely through mind power, scientific explanations for such effects are still being studied.

Uploaded by

Charles LeRoy
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© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Mind over matter

Mind over matter


Mind over matter is a phrase popularized during the 1960s and 1970s that was originally used in reference to paranormal phenomena, especially psychokinesis.[1] However, it has also been used in reference to mind-centric spiritual and philosophic doctrines such as responsibility assumption.

Definition
The term does not relate to the belief that the mind is more powerful than the body. Specifically, mind over matter refers to controlling pain that one may or may not be experiencing, such as holding one's hand under extremely hot water and feeling no pain. Also, "self-help" personalities such as Tony Robbins claim that, through the power of concentration and "positive thinking", people can walk on hot coals without getting burned. This claim is made despite the fact that there are solid, scientific explanations for firewalking.[2] "Mind over matter" was also Mao Zedong's idea that rural peasants could be "proletarianized" so they could lead the revolution and China could move from feudalism to socialism. It departs from Leninism in that the revolutionaries are peasants, instead of the urban proletariat.[3]

Studies
An un-published study,[4] referenced in the May 2009 edition of Wired and performed by Professor Garret Moddel of the University of Colorado at Boulder, performed an experiment that supports the concept of 'mind over matter': in 2007, Professor Moddel aimed a beam of light at a glass slide and asked his test-subjects to mentally increase the amount of reflected light. With a baseline of 8 percent, the subjects were able to successfully increase the reflection of the beam by .05 percent, and showed a similar success when asked to mentally decrease the amount of reflected light. Started in 2007, the Dutch artist Iebele Abel used scientific methods to create artworks and music related to mind-matter correspondence.[5]

Origin
The exact phrase "mind over matter" first appeared in 1863 in The Geological Evidence of the Antiquity of Man by Sir Charles Lyell (17971875) and refers to the increasing status and evolutionary growth of the minds of animals and man throughout Earth history.[6] It may be said that, so far from having a materialistic tendency, the supposed introduction into the earth at successive geological periods of life sensation, instinct, the intelligence of the higher mammalia bordering on reason, and lastly, the improvable reason of Man himself presents us with a picture of the ever-increasing dominion of mind over matter. Sir Charles Lyell, 1863 Another related saying was coined almost two millennia earlier (19 B.C.) "the mind moves matter" by the poet Virgil in his work Aeneid, book 6, line 727.[7] The latter saying in Latin, mens agitat molem, is the official motto of the University of Warwick, Eindhoven University of Technology in The Netherlands and Newcastle University Union Society in the UK (amongst others).

Mind over matter

Psychokinesis
The possible first use referring somewhat more directly to psychokinesis could be the 1903 book titled Mind over matter: the influence of will power on disease by J. W. Martin, Commercial Publishing, 78 pages. In 1972 the parapsychologist Louisa Rhine published a book titled Mind over Matter: Psychokinesis. Another researcher D. Scott Rogo published Mind Over Matter: Case for Psychokinesis (1986). Jeffrey Mishlove wrote The PK Man: A True Story of Mind Over Matter (2000) which discusses the controversial claims of Ted Owens regarding his alleged ability to influence the weather by psychokinetic activity.[8]

References
[1] Berger, Arthur S.; Berger, Joyce (1991). The Encyclopedia of Parapsychological and Psychical Research. New York: Paragon House. ISBN 1-55778-043-9. Page 341: "Psychokinesis (PK). The response of objects such as dice or the environment to a person's wishes is commonly labelled 'mind over matter.'" [2] "" (http:/ / people. howstuffworks. com/ firewalking. htm). . Retrieved October 2, 2009. [3] Asian survey, Volume 4 University of California Press, 1964, p. 1049 [4] http:/ / psiphen. colorado. edu/ Pubs/ ModdelSSE07. pdf [5] Iebele Abel (2008-2010), Talks about Mind over Matter, Full-color American Edition, Elmtree & Waters Publishing, ISBN 978-90-79735-06-8 [6] Bartlett, John; Kaplan, Justin (Editor) (2002). Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, Seventeenth Edition. New Fork: Little, Brown and Company. ISBN978-0-316-08460-4. [7] Stevenson, Burton (Editor) (1948, seventh printing 1968). The Macmillan Book of Proverbs, Maxims, and Famous Phrases. New York: The Macmillan Company. [8] Jeffrey Mishlove The PK Man: A True Story of Mind Over Matter Hampton Roads Publishing, 2000 ISBN 1-57174-183-6

Article Sources and Contributors

Article Sources and Contributors


Mind over matter Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=495780968 Contributors: 5Q5, Alan Liefting, Amalas, CambridgeBayWeather, Can't sleep, clown will eat me, Chx, Colmacc, DARTH SIDIOUS 2, DJ Clayworth, Denatured Alcohol, Edcolins, Gary D, Glane23, Glenn Oliver, GreenUniverse, Gregbard, Grutness, Kusma, Omb1080, PDTantisocial, Pigman, RDF, Sandgem Addict, ScienceApologist, Scy1192, Shayno, Signalhead, Strategist333, Tassedethe, Tide rolls, Verbum Veritas, Wikiuser100, WoodenTaco, Zondor, , 55 anonymous edits

License
Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported //creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

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